Reviewed: 2020—02-20
Genre: General
FCCs: none
Review: Hendrix shifted gears with a new line-up of all black players and a definitely funky approach to the music, while still demonstrating his unique talent on guitar. Here for the first time are all 4 sets from the Fillmore East from his two-night stand over 12/31/69 & 1/1/70. Included are a slew of never released tracks, including some of his old standards, and, on each one, he rips it up and extends the jam. Most of the stage patter & intros happen at the end of each track
If You Like: Jeff Beck, Stanley Jordan, Jeff Healy, Stevie Ray Vaughn
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
Disc 1
*1/ Power of Soul (5:30) – band intro starts> guitar starts> sonic funk jam> uptempo song> fade
2/ Lover Man (3:14) – guitar starts> fast tempo song> stellar guitar solo> crescendo end
*3/ Hear My Train A Comin’ (9:06) – guitar starts> slow electric blues builds to midtempo> sonic guitar solo> crescendo end
**4/ Changes (5:58) – guitar starts> sonic uptempo funk song> guitar solo> song slows, then builds to fast tempo> pause> crescendo end
5/ Izabella (3:29) – guitar starts> uptempo anti-war song> guitar solo> quick fade
***6/ Machine Gun (8:54) –guitar starts> slow tempo anti-war song> heavy guitar solo> crescendo end
7/ Stop (5:30) – guitar starts> spoken word call & response> heavy funk jam & song> fade on vocal
*8/ Ezy Rider (5:55) – guitar starts> uptempo rocker> stellar guitar solo> crescendo end
*9/ Bleeding Heart (6:38) – guitar starts> slow walking blues> smoking guitar solo> crescendo end
***10/ Earth Blues (6:24) – guitar starts> uptempo funky rocker> sonic guitar solo> quick stop
11/ Burning Desire (9:40) – guitar starts midtempo jam, swings into uptempo heavy song> heavy guitar solo slows to slow tempo song> slowly builds into uptempo rocker> lightning fast jam> quick stop
Disc 2
12/ Auld Lang Syne (3:55) – crowd counts down to midnight, followed by stage announcement> band kicks in on Auld Lang Syne midtempo instrumental jam> builds to crescendo end, seques into next track
*13/ Who Knows (6:40) – heavy bass/drums start> midtempo funky song with call & response over repetitive riff> guitar solo> funky jam> guitar solo> midtempo song> slow fade
**14/ Fire (5:15) – guitar starts> fast tempo song> sizzling guitar solo> crescendo end
*15/ Ezy Rider (4:24) – drums start> uptempo jam & song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo end
***16/ Machine Gun (13:51) – guitar starts> vocal intro> slow tempo jam & song> heavy guitar solo> slow fade
**17/ Stone Free (17:22) – guitar starts> fast tempo song> blazing sonic guitar solo slows to midtempo & almost silent> then swings uptempo> crescendo end
**18/ Changes (8:06) – drums start> uptempo funky song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo end
**19/ Message To Love (3:37) – guitar starts> uptempo funky song> guitar solo> crescendo end
20/ Stop (7:02) – guitar starts> call & response sonic funk song> guitar solo> slow fade
**21/ Foxey Lady (6:45) – sonic guitar starts> heavy rocking song> soaring guitar solo> slow fade
Disc 3
*22/ Who Knows (9:32) – band intro> bass starts> midtempo funky song with call & response>
***23/ Machine Gun (12:33) – guitar starts> slow tempo anti-war song> heavy guitar solo> crescendo end
**24/ Changes (6:19) – drums start> uptempo funky song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo end
**25/ Power Of Soul (6:19) – sonic funk jam> uptempo song> fade
26/ Stepping Stone (5:20) – guitar starts> fast tempo song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo end
27/ Foxey Lady (6:45) – sonic guitar intro> uptempo song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo enda
28/ Stop (5:43) – guitar starts> call & response sonic funk song> guitar solo> slow fade
***29/ Earth Blues (5:50) – guitar starts> uptempo funky rocker> sonic guitar solo> quick stop
30/ Burning Desire (8:22) – guitar starts midtempo jam, swings into uptempo heavy song> heavy guitar solo slows to slow tempo song> slowly builds into uptempo rocker> lightning fast jam> quick stop
Disc 4
**31/ Stone Free (13;25) – band intro> guitar/drums start> fast tempo song> blazing guitar solo pause> applause> then builds to climax
*32/ Power Of Soul (9:10) – guitar starts> funky uptempo jam & song> sonic guitar solo> quick stop
**33/ Changes (9:33) – drums start> funky uptempo song> blazing guitar solo> crescendo end
**34/ Message To Love (5:25) – guitar starts> funky uptempo song> guitar solo> crescendo & fade
***35/ Machine Gun (12;13) – guitar starts> slow tempo song> heavy guitar solo> slow fade
*36/ Lover Man (2;35) – guitar starts> fast tempo song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo end
*37/ Steal Away (5:53) – guitar starts> slow tempo song> bluesy guitar solo> quick fade> pause> crescendo end
***38/ Earth Blues (6:21) – guitar starts> uptempo funky rocker> sonic guitar solo> quick stop
Disc 5
***39/ Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (5:45) – vocal intro> guitar starts> rocking uptempo song> killer guitar solo morphs into the next track
*40/ We Gotta Live Together (9:29) – guitar starts> funky midtempo jam with vocal call to sing along> crowd eventually joins in> sonic guitar solo>
*41/ Wild Thing (3:13) – applause> guitar starts> midtempo rock song> sonic guitar solo> quick fade
42/ Hey Joe (3:57) – guitar starts> midtempo song> rocking guitar solo> crescendo end
43/ Purple Haze (4:55) – guitar starts> rocking uptempo song> sonic guitar solo> crescendo end